Patents by Inventor Shane MacNamara

Shane MacNamara has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11514565
    Abstract: A safe optoelectronic sensor is provided for securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine, wherein the sensor has at least one light receiver for generating a received signal from received light from the monitored zone and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine distances from objects in the monitored zone from the received signal, and to treat gaps, i.e. safety relevant part regions of the monitored zone in which no reliable distance can be determined, as an object at a predefined distance. The predefined distance here corresponds to a height for securing against reach over.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 29, 2022
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Ingolf Braune, Armin Hornung, Matthias Neubauer, Shane Macnamara
  • Patent number: 10969762
    Abstract: A method of configuring at least one hazard zone to be monitored by at least one three-dimensional (3D) sensor includes fixing outer surfaces, where the at least one hazard zone is a volume defined by the outer surfaces, and is a zone in which a machine to be secured is located. Additionally, a check is made during the configuration or after the configuration whether the outer surfaces are visible to the at least one 3D sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: SICK AG
    Inventors: Armin Hornung, Matthias Neubauer, Ingolf Braune, Shane MacNamara, Thomas Neumann
  • Publication number: 20190377322
    Abstract: A method is provided of configuring at least one hazard zone to be monitored by at least one 3D sensor, wherein the hazard zone is a volume defined by outer surfaces in which a machine to be secured is located; and wherein the outer surfaces are fixed by the configuration. In this process, a check is made during the configuration or after the configuration whether the outer surfaces are visible to at least one of the 3D sensors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2019
    Publication date: December 12, 2019
    Inventors: Armin HORNUNG, Matthias NEUBAUER, Ingolf BRAUNE, Shane MACNAMARA, Thomas NEUMANN
  • Publication number: 20190362487
    Abstract: A safe optoelectronic sensor is provided for securing a monitored zone comprising at least one machine, wherein the sensor has at least one light receiver for generating a received signal from received light from the monitored zone and a control and evaluation unit that is configured to determine distances from objects in the monitored zone from the received signal, and to treat gaps, i.e. safety relevant part regions of the monitored zone in which no reliable distance can be determined, as an object at a predefined distance. The predefined distance here corresponds to a height for securing against reach over.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Ingolf BRAUNE, Armin HORNUNG, Matthias NEUBAUER, Shane MACNAMARA
  • Patent number: 8735792
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for monitoring a working area (42) is provided, the working area (42) being located within a detection area (20) of the sensor (10) and in a first distance from the sensor (10), wherein the sensor (10) comprises an illumination unit (22) with a light source (24) for at least partially illuminating the working area (42), and an object detection unit (30) for detecting forbidden objects in the working area (42), wherein an illumination control (28) of the illumination unit (22) is configured to, during a startup period, initially activate the illumination unit (28) with a lower power such that a provisional working area (40, 40a-c) in a second distance from the sensor (10) less than the first distance is illuminated at most with a predetermined maximum light output; test whether there is a forbidden object intrusion into the provisional working area (40, 40a-c); and if no forbidden object intrusion is detected, activate the illumination unit (28) with a higher power such that th
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Sick AG
    Inventors: Markus Hammes, Ingolf Braune, Stephan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara
  • Publication number: 20120074296
    Abstract: An optoelectronic sensor (10) for monitoring a working area (42) is provided, the working area (42) being located within a detection area (20) of the sensor (10) and in a first distance from the sensor (10), wherein the sensor (10) comprises an illumination unit (22) with a light source (24) for at least partially illuminating the working area (42), and an object detection unit (30) for detecting forbidden objects in the working area (42), wherein an illumination control (28) of the illumination unit (22) is configured to, during a startup period, initially activate the illumination unit (28) with a lower power such that a provisional working area (40, 40a-c) in a second distance from the sensor (10) less than the first distance is illuminated at most with a predetermined maximum light output; test whether there is a forbidden object intrusion into the provisional working area (40, 40a-c); and if no forbidden object intrusion is detected, activate the illumination unit (28) with a higher power such that th
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2011
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: SICK AG
    Inventors: Markus HAMMES, Ingolf BRAUNE, Stephan SCHMITZ, Shane MACNAMARA
  • Patent number: 8139204
    Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor for the monitoring of a working zone is provided which is located within a detection zone of the sensor and at a first distance from the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lighting unit having a light source to illuminate the working zone at least partly as well as an object detection unit by means of which unauthorized objects in the working zone can be detected. In this respect, an illumination control is designed, in a switching-on phase, first to activate the lighting unit with a lower power so that a provisional working zone at a second distance from the sensor less than the first distance is illuminated with at most a preset maximum power; to check by means of the object detection unit whether an unauthorized object intrusion is taking place into the provisional working zone; and if no unauthorized object intrusion is recognized, to activate the lighting unit at a higher power so that the working zone is illuminated with at most the preset maximum power.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2012
    Assignee: Sick AG
    Inventors: Ingolf Braune, Markus Hammes, Stefan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara
  • Publication number: 20110001799
    Abstract: A 3D sensor (10) having at least one image sensor (14) for the generation of image data of a monitored region (12) as well as a 3D evaluation unit (28) are provided, the evaluation unit (28) is adapted for the calculation of a depth map having distance pixels from the image data and for the determination of reliability values for the distance pixels. In this respect a gap evaluation unit (28) is provided which is adapted to recognize regions of the depth map with distance pixels whose reliability value does not satisfy a reliability criteria as gaps (42) in the depth map and to evaluate whether the depth map has gaps (42) larger than an uncritical maximum size.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: SICK AG
    Inventors: Bernd ROTHENBERGER, Shane MACNAMARA, Ingolf BRAUNE
  • Publication number: 20110001957
    Abstract: A distance-measuring optoelectronic sensor for the monitoring of a working zone is provided which is located within a detection zone of the sensor and at a first distance from the sensor, wherein the sensor has a lighting unit having a light source to illuminate the working zone at least partly as well as an object detection unit by means of which unauthorized objects in the working zone can be detected. In this respect, an illumination control is designed, in a switching-on phase, first to activate the lighting unit with a lower power so that a provisional working zone at a second distance from the sensor less than the first distance is illuminated with at most a preset maximum power; to check by means of the object detection unit whether an unauthorized object intrusion is taking place into the provisional working zone; and if no unauthorized object intrusion is recognized, to activate the lighting unit at a higher power so that the working zone is illuminated with at most the preset maximum power.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: SICK AG
    Inventors: Ingolf BRAUNE, Markus HAMMES, Stefan SCHMITZ, Shane MACNAMARA
  • Publication number: 20100073461
    Abstract: A lighting unit (100) having a divergent coherent light source (104, 106) is provided for the generation of an at least locally irregular pattern (20) in a monitored zone (12). In this respect, the lighting unit (100) has an optical phase element (108, 110) in the beam path of the light source (104, 106), said optical phase element having unevenness made to generate local phase differences between light portions incident at the phase element at adjacent positions and thus to generate the irregular pattern (20) by interference.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 18, 2009
    Publication date: March 25, 2010
    Applicant: SICK AG
    Inventors: Markus Hammes, Stephan Schmitz, Shane MacNamara, Martin Collischon
  • Publication number: 20070244825
    Abstract: An accessory kit for use with a software based medical resource to perform a particular medical procedure includes a package, a license media that includes license key information, a package and an item for use in performing the medical procedure. The method includes the steps of obtaining a license key from a license media, using the key to activate a medical resource, and writing data back to the license media to disable the license key so that the license key can not be reused. One type of license media used is an RFID tag.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 14, 2006
    Publication date: October 18, 2007
    Inventors: Gilbert Semmer, Shane MacNamara, Jose Moctezuma de la Barrera
  • Patent number: 6892134
    Abstract: Movement of a vehicle such as a boat (30) is guided by dynamically monitoring parameters and generating instructions for the operator. The instructions are at a level to attain a number of sub-goals to reach a goal position (33) from a current position (32). Each sub-goal is attained in a single vehicle manoeuvre such as straight-ahead or rotation, each manoeuvre being instructable to the operator. The instructions are generated using a space model (12) of the space around the vehicle, an operator model (11) of operator vehicle control characteristics, and a vehicle model (12) of vehicle movement characteristics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2005
    Assignee: Haptica Limited
    Inventors: Gerard Lacey, Shane MacNamara
  • Publication number: 20040064249
    Abstract: Movement of a vehicle such as a boat (30) is guided by dynamically monitoring parameters and generating instructions for the operator. The instructions are at a level to attain a number of sub-goals to reach a goal position (33) from a current position (32). Each sub-goal is attained in a single vehicle manoeuvre such as straight-ahead or rotation, each manoeuvre being instructable to the operator. The instructions are generated using a space model (12) of the space around the vehicle, an operator model (11) of operator vehicle control characteristics, and a vehicle model (12) of vehicle movement characteristics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Inventors: Gerard Lacey, Shane MacNamara